Rethinking How to Learn the Game Caddie

Up until recently, I have thought the best way to learn how to use the GC is to understand how all its features work. This approach was, perhaps, the only way to learn the GC up through version 3. That’s because the GC was only able to automate a few things (basically,  numerical shot results).

As such, I created an extensive User Guide and many video tutorials to help new users get up and going. The limited feedback I got was that these tools were helpful, but I suspect that the GC’s learning curve was too much for many casual APBA Golf fans, even if they liked the idea of having an easier way to play the Master Game. 

But a lot has changed since those early days. Starting with version 4 and the introduction of the All in One Menu, the GC is now able to automate all Lie rolls and results as well as second rolls and results for Wind. It even warns you in certain situations when you try to do something that’s not permitted. (Much more of that will occur in the soon-to-be released GC 4.1.) 

Reflecting on the evolution of the GC got me to wondering: Maybe the time has come to stop encouraging new users to immerse themselves in how everything works and just tell them to rely on the All in One Menu to take care of all the details? (Well, most of them.) 

New users would still need to know a little bit about W/I shot-planning and how the Approach Caddie works, but they could ignore everything on the Lies tab and would only need to know how to enter first rolls for Wind (which is pretty simple). 

Once they saw how easy it is to play the Master Game using the All in One Menu, then they could dig deeper into the GC’s other features as the need arises. But unlike previous versions, almost all those features now exist on the Caddie tab. That alone would seemingly make the learning process less daunting.

I would still encourage new users to start off with one golfer on a course with no (or relatively few) hole notes. I’d also recommend that they take the GC’s built-in tutorial and watch videos of interest on the Game Caddie Channel. The only must-see videos for a new user are probably Episodes 3 (Aiming), 6 (Approach Shots), and 14 (All in One Menu). But they could skip the User Guide’s three-hole tutorial, which was created before the All in One Menu came about.

I’d also tell them to read the APBA Golf Master Game rules to at least get a sense of the terminology and what’s involved in executing shots. However, I don’t think it’s helpful to try to remember everything in the rules. They can always refer to the GC’s Caddie Notes tab, if they need a refresher.

I might also suggest that they don’t even bother trying to understand the section on Approach Shots in the Master Game rules. It’s very difficult to grasp, unless you happen to be gifted in understanding things like the IRS tax code. Just know that the GC’s Approach Caddie handles everything in accordance with those rules. 

Because I find playing the Master Game with the GC so satisfying, I want others to share that same joy. At this point, learning how to use the GC shouldn’t be an obstacle. I’d be curious to know what others think about this “less is more” approach to learning.